Injection device for injecting a fluid into food

Abstract

This injection device comprises a housing having a handgrip for operating it. A collapsible fluid container is adapted to fit in the housing under the pressure element of the handgrip. The container has a fill opening with a closure and an injection stem extending out of the housing so that when the handgrip is squeezed, the collapsible fluid container will compress the fluid within it and drive the fluid out through the stem. Conversely, when the fluid container is compressed, the stem can be submerged in fluid and the handgrip spread to enlarge the container and suck fluid into the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An injection device for injecting a fluid into food comprising: a. a fluid container having parallel upper and lower walls and a collapsible wall inbetween, the container having a projecting tubular injection stem thereon operatively connected to the inside of the container;   b. a housing comprising an enclosure having an interior cavity, a stem opening and an operable door which, when open, receives the container within the cavity, the container resting on the bottom of the housing with the injection stem extending out through the stem opening, the top wall of the housing being formed with upwardly facing spaced apertures and a lateral squeeze bar at the upper end of the housing; and   c. a compression element comprising a pressure plate disposed against the upper wall of the container, a palm rest above the squeeze bar having legs extending downward through the spaced apertures in the housing respectively and connected to the pressure plate whereby when the squeeze bar and palm rest are squeezed together by the grip of a single hand, the container is at least partly collapsed to apply pressure to drive fluid out the injection stem.     
     
     
       2. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stem extends downward from the lower wall of the container. 
     
     
       3. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container has a fill opening in one of its walls and a sealing closure is removably disposed in said fill opening. 
     
     
       4. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 whereby spring means are compressively disposed between the housing and the legs. 
     
     
       5. An injection device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the legs are tubular and have transverse walls adjacent the upper ends thereof and slotted lower portions, and the housing has projections extending through the slots respectively and the spring means comprises a pair of helical springs respectively disposed in the tuabular legs and are compressed between the transverse wall and the projection. 
     
     
       6. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an extendable substantially tubular guard is slidably disposed in the housing and movable from a retracted position to a guard position substantially surrounding the injection stem. 
     
     
       7. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the legs have spaced indents and releasable detent means are disposed in the housing to selectively engage the legs engaging the detents to indicate an incremental lowering of the pressure plate. 
     
     
       8. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the door is hingedly attached to the rest of the housing and is provided with latching means. 
     
     
       9. An injection device as claimed in claim, wherein a portion of the sidewall is apertured to make visible the position of the top wall of the container to indicate the condition of the container. 
     
     
       10. An injection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container is a bellows. 
     
     
       11. An injection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stem extends downward from the lower wall of the housing and is disposed directly in line with one of the legs. 
     
     
       12. An injection device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container has selectively releaseable hook means on its upper wall hooking over the pressure plate to unite them for movement together so that the palm rest may be raised relative to the squeeze bar to enlarge the container to aspirate fluid through the stem. 
     
     
       13. An injection device as claimed in claim 1 wherein tongue means are connected to the housing to hold the lower wall of the container down. 
     
     
       14. An injection device comprising: a. a fluid container having parallel upper and lower walls and a collapsible wall inbetween;   b. a projecting injection stem operatively connected to the inside of the container;   c. a housing comprising an enclosure having an interior cavity, a stem opening and an operable door which, when open, receives the container within the cavity with the lower wall held adjacent the bottom of the housing and the injection stem extending out through the stem opening, the top wall of the housing being formed with aperture means and a lateral squeeze bar at the upper end of the housing; and   d. an operating element connected to the upper wall of the container and extending upward through the aperture means in the housing and having a center palm rest section whereby when the squeeze bar and palm rest section are squeezed together, the upper and lower walls of the container are moved toward each other to cause flow of fluid in the stem and when the squeeze bar and palm rest section are spread apart, fluid may be aspirated through the stem up into the container.     
     
     
       15. An injection device comprising: a. a fluid container defined by parallel rigid panels and a collapsible connecting wall inbetween said panels;   b. a projecting injection stem operatively connected to the inside of the container;   c. a housing comprising an enclosure having opposite walls defining an interior cavity, one of said housing walls having a stem opening, the enclosure receiving the container within the cavity with one rigid panel bearing on said one wall of the housing and the injecting stem extending out through the stem opening, the opposite wall of the housing being formed with aperture means and having a lateral squeeze bar formed therein; and   d. an operating element associated with the opposite wall of the housing and engaging the opposite rigid panel of the container inside the enclosure and extending upward through the aperture means in the housing and having outside the enclosure a palm rest whereby when the squeeze bar and palm rest are squeezed together, the parallel panels of the container are moved toward each other to cause flow of fluid in the stem.     
     
     
       16. An injection device as claimed in claim 15 wherein first retaining means retains the one rigid panel adjacent the one housing wall and second retaining means retains the opposite rigid panel adjacent the operating element so that when the squeeze bar and palm rest section are spread apart fluid may be aspirated through the stem into the container.